Kidderminster kept the suspense going with a 3-0 win over Lincoln, but Stags can go top by winning one of their two games in hand on Tuesday at home to Macclesfield.

"That is the mark of a good team after suffering a defeat we probably didn't deserve on Thursday and I am proud of my players," said the delighted manager.

"We have come to a place where very few teams get anything and everyone probably expected Barrow to cause an upset.

"But the boys were absolutely tremendous, especially second half. These boys have been on the road since Thursday and not seen their families, but they looked hungry and ground out a result.

"We've not just won the game, but we've scored four goals as well which is immense. The lads showed they have mental strength and we looked fit, strong and powerful.

"I did think we were going through the motions a bit until their penalty. They had a mouthful at half-time and shoved it back down my throat in the second half.

"But there is nothing achieved yet. Kidderminster have won again, but their games are running out and we are going to have to win our games in hand which takes another kind of mental strength."

Alan Marriott, who was seen to be at fault for one of Wrexham's goals on Thursday, made a great double save from a Barrow penalty with the score at 0-0 two minutes before Stags took the lead.

Said Cox: "Alan had the finger pointed at him on Thursday, but the man is an excellent keeper and, not only did he make an excellent save from the penalty, the save he made for the follow-up was out of this world."

Barrow were unhappy with Mansfield being awarded a penalty when they felt the offence was out of the box, but Cox added: "I am not sure if it was in or out the box, but I think we had some bad luck on Thursday and it does even out over a season."

Barrow boss Dave Bayliss says he feels the penalty incidents in Saturday's 4-0 defeat by Mansfield sums up the season.
With the match scoreless, Richie Baker missed a spot-kick for the home side before Matt Green later won and scored a penalty for the visitors.
"To be honest, when the referee blew I thought their lad was getting booked for diving," Bayliss told BBC Cumbria.
"We miss one to go ahead then he dives, scores the penalty and it's a huge task at 2-0 - it just sums up the season."
The result kept Mansfield a point behind Blue Square Bet Premier leaders Kidderminster with two games in hand.
Conversely, Barrow are mired in a relegation scrap, 22nd in the table and three points behind fifth-from-bottom Stockport with only three games remaining.
"People say that when you're at the bottom you don't get the decisions and it's true, that one is really hard to take," he continued.
"Our lads took it personally and then lost their discipline for a short while after that too.
"It was a bad decision but the other goals were avoidable as we've just given the ball away cheaply. So in some ways, we've no one to blame but ourselves when you do that and you miss a penalty.
"Still, I don't know what I did in a former life as both penalties aside, we've now hit the woodwork seven times in seven games - it's ridiculous."